Worth Fighting For
by extraordinary geek
Summary: When Loki gets a second chance, he finds himself saddled with a midgardian child. This child will be the key in keeping the balance of the world. Can the God of Mischief shape the young boy into the man he is destined to be? Set in the Unchanged Future for Charmed.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **My first story in either charmed or Avengers, I hope you like it. This story is set in the unchanged Future for Charmed.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Charmed or Avengers nor any of the character within.

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"There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for." ― J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Two Towers_

As he sat in his cell Loki found himself wondering how everything could have gone wrong. He had once again been defeated by his brother's comrades, the avengers and been taken to Asgard. Once back the All Father had declared him a prisoner and had him locked in a cell. Now there was nothing to do but await the day of his trial. He would surely be declared guilty; no doubt most of Asgard would be out for his blood. Not because of his latest quest with Midgard (they could care less about what happened to that primitive piece of rock), but they each had their own bones to pick and would gladly have him hanged.

Just as he was deep in thought the floor beneath him shook and surged up. The ground cracked and he quickly moved to the other side as he saw it open up. He could just hear it now, 'Loki was not able to come to his trial because the ground opened up and swallowed him'.

As he pressed himself against the wall he saw a bright light burst forth so bright that it left him temporarily blinded.

Once he was able to see again he was surprised and filled with terror at what he saw. Standing only a few feet away the Norns called out.

"Loki Laufeyson"

Immediately Loki fell to his knees as he lowered his head, looking towards the ground. If there was anybody that he respected it was the Norns themselves.

The sisters gathered ominously around Loki. "We have held your fate since the beginning of time. We have seen your rise and have prophesied your fall." Loki shuddered at their words. They were not ones to be taken lightly.

"Yet we have felt great kindness towards you young fallen one and have offered a second chance."

Loki felt his heart thud faster at their words. His mouth felt dry as he quietly rasped out. "May I ask what this second chance you speak of is?"

The Norns gathered around and looked him straight in the eyes. "You Loki Laufeyson, 2nd prince of Asgard, god of mischief and lies have hereby been given a chance to redeem yourself and right your wrongs. You shall guard and protect a midgardian child who shall play an essential role in maintaining the balance of the world."

"And if I refuse?" Not that he would, Loki wasn't dumb. He just wanted to know the alternative.

The Norns didn't look surprised as they answered. "There is no other path you may take. Your current end is death."

Loki found himself silently nodding as their words registered. He may not want to play caretaker for a mortal, but it was preferable to death. A mortal's lifespan was short anyways. He was barely about to open his mouth to speak when he felt the air around him shift and he started to fall.

When he came to, the god of mischief found himself standing in a brightly decorated child's room. Upon closer inspection he noticed it was a nursery, if the crib in the corner was any indication. Loki felt a pull coming from that direction and knew he was the one. Feeling around with his magic he sensed the child in the crib. The infant held the common signature of midgardian mortals with a mix of something else. Curious he took a step closer and was about to probe further when the baby stirred and Loki found himself face to face with bright emerald eyes that mirrored his own.

Once the baby saw Loki he raised his chubby little arms and flung them around. "Up"

Loki felt himself transported to a time when his own children were young, before the cruel councils of Asgard had taken them away. He was silent as the memories came to him when he _oww!_ Loki looked up to see just what had hit him in the head and stared in shock.

Right above his head there were three small toys floating in the air. Loki looked on as the child reached out with his hands and waved them towards a red block. With surprise he noticed that the block seemed to float down towards him. After about a moment the child babbled happily as he held it in his hands.

Regardless of what it seemed like Loki certainly did not gape at the child like an idiot. (There were no witnesses to prove it anyways, other than the baby.)He merely stared in stupefied silence at the young child in front of him. He was feeling quiet mystified at the fact that this mere mortal babe had managed to not only summon magic, but also use it at his will. He had never heard of such an occurrence in Midgard. Now he definitely had to investigate.

Once more Loki felt inside of him for his magic and released a bit toward the child in the crib. The child in question looked around curiously as green tendrils of magic circled around him.

"Impossible"

Loki was astonished at what he found. The child's core was filled with magical energy. In fact, it appeared that the child was pure magical energy, just like himself.

"Why.."

Loki couldn't even finish the sentence. Why hadn't he been able to sense this in the child before? Had the child somehow cloaked his magical signature? That was unheard of in a child so young. In fact, if Loki didn't have great faith in his own magic he would have thought it to be an error. While his first scan hadn't found anything, this second deeper scan was able to detect this plus the mix he had found earlier. Was this child somehow not from Midgard?

Never before had he detected such presences that he had felt in this child in other humans. It was a strange mix of different sources of energy. Confounded Loki retreated his magic as the child looked at him with an expression akin to disappointment.

"No?" He asked slowly sitting up.

The trickster met the child's gaze, bright green eyes staring expectantly at his own. Oh, there was more to this boy than met the eye. He stared at the child in silent thought as both looked at each other intensely.

This intense staring contest went on for a few seconds before the child cracked a youthful smile. "Play?" he asked innocently, unaware that this was the feared Loki, god of mischief, lord of chaos and destruction.

Loki looked at the child in shock. The blind trust the child placed in him was astounding. Of course the child was too young to know who he was and therefore blindly trusted him. However, Loki found himself recalling long lost feelings he thought had been forgotten as he heard the child's words. He found himself liking this newfound feeling of having someone trust him so explicitly.

"Play" Loki found himself face to face with a red block, as the boy extended his toy towards the still pensive god. He carefully took it in his hands. Seeing him take the block the child giggled a childish laugh filled with innocence and glee.

Then Loki smiled. Not one of his normal maniacal smiles, not even a smirk. For the first time in a long time Loki found himself sincerely and genuinely smiling.

"Sure why not?" After all the boy would need a magical tutor if he was to help maintain the balance of the world, and who better than the greatest sorcerer in all nine realms.

Smiling he looked up and noticed something he hadn't seen before. "Christopher?" he asked, seeing the name on the wall above the crib. Sure enough the boy smiled. Giggling he passed Loki another block, this time blue.

"Very well, let's see if we can make these blocks do our bidding." Loki replied twirling his fingers to make the blocks dance and twirl as they gently floated into the air.

* * *

"He has taken the chance"

"Indeed he has"

"It is for the best, the child shall suffer much in his short life."

All three sisters nodded. They knew what tragedies would befall the boy. As keeper of balance in the world he would face many hardships that would break many. Sacrifices would be made and he would lose much.

"His life will not be easy."

"Such is the way sisters. A true hero never goes through life without suffering."

"Such is the way"

"Such is the way"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you so much to those who favorited, followed, reviewed, and read. I'm glad you liked it, here's another chapter and I hope you enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Charmed or Avengers. They belong to their respective and awesome owners.

* * *

Loki found himself enjoying Midgard. The small child he had expected to feel burdened by, had him wrapped around his little finger. Thor would laugh when he found out his brother had taken to being a caretaker to a midgardian baby. This was one of the most refreshing moments he'd had. He had been here a whole three months, and he could tell that there would be little if any problem with keeping his presence unknown.

"Wyatt?" A gentle voice floated through the hall. "Are you hiding honey?" The trickster god turned invisible as he heard the footsteps get closer. He needn't have even worried he thought, as the person turned away not even sparing the room a glance.

"Auntie Phoebe!" A blur of blond curls whirred past the hall.

"There you are sweetie" The woman gushed as she picked up the small blond-haired boy. "I was wondering where you were hun. Are you hungry?"

The little boy nodded quickly. "Uh huh, can I have ice cream?"

The brunette seemed to consider it for a moment before giving a grin. "Of course sweetie, it'll be our little secret."

Giggles filled the hall as the woman propped the boy on her hip and walked off blabbering useless things on unimportant matters that the god of mischief cared not about. Loki gave a sneer as the two walked off down the hall and down the stairs. He detested that woman; in the short time he had been there he had noticed that all was not equal within the Halliwell household as he had expected. It had come to him as a surprise to notice that his young protégé was not hailed as highly as his brother, surely a child that was to help keep the balance of the world would be...

Loki turned quickly; quiet whimpers coming from the crib broke his train of thought as he walked over to the crib and gently picked up the whimpering child.

"Shh, Shh it's alright Christopher"

The trickster couldn't fathom why the horrid woman didn't treat this child the same as the other. They were both her nephews, yet she never once offered to carry this child and certainly never treated this boy the same as her other nephew. She often seemed to forget that there was another boy she was supposed to care for when she babysat. It made Loki sick that someone could treat such a young, innocent child with such callousness; it was as if Christopher didn't exist for the woman.

The child gave quiet sniffles as the whimpering stopped. He turned large green eyes to the Norse god in his room.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked. Christopher did not normally act like this, normally the boy would be lively and energetic. His only answer was watery eyes and another sniffle. Worried now, Loki found himself running a quick scan on the child.

With a sigh Loki confirmed what he had thought, the child was sick. Seeing as he was the only one available at the moment, the task of caring for the child would fall to him. Not that he minded of course Christopher was a rather sweet child, but it didn't feel right that a child this young had to rely on a distant stranger instead of a comforting family member.

"Mama" Feverish green eyes looked at the room and at the god in it. Loki would have healed the child, but remembered that humans had to develop immunities to diseases. As much as he hated to see the child in pain, he would have to let the sickness run its course.

"Shh Christopher your mother will be back soon." He gently swayed the child back and forth as he hummed an old lullaby Frigga used to sing when he was young. Thinking about his adoptive mother made his heart constrict as he thought back to before his coming here.

Frigga had come to see him as soon as she'd heard her youngest had been brought back. Loki had been in pain from his latest encounter with his brother's band of fools when he'd heard the door to his cell open followed by a gasp.

"Loki" The god of mischief had looked up to see the normally calm Queen Frigga run towards him. 'Oh my son what has happened to you?" She asked. Loki had felt guilt as he saw his mother kneel towards the defeated trickster, her immaculate robes getting dirtier by the second. Yet this did not seem to matter to the regal woman as she placed her arms around the bruised god.

"Loki" Loki couldn't bring himself to look at the woman as he heard her whisper. "Oh my darling child I have missed you."

"I'm not…I'm" Loki couldn't find the words as he tried to convey that he wasn't her child, he'd technically never been.

"Of course you are." Frigga had answered with absolute certainty as if someone had asked if the sky was blue. "You are my son and have always been and always will be." Raising the young prince's head she stared him straight in the eye. "Nothing you ever say or do can stop me from being your mother." She gave him a fierce hug. "I love you Loki and nothing and no one not even you can ever change that."

Loki hugged the child cradled in his arms tighter. Oh how he missed his mother. Yes, even though she had not given birth to him, Frigga was the one person who had known what he was and yet had always treated him with love and kindness. She was a true mother, and even Loki could not deny she was _his_ mother.

"Hush Christopher we shall do fine. Just you and I." He cradled the child closer and once more hummed the tune that had soothed him to sleep many times before. He would care for this child just as his mother had cared for him, a child that was not biologically hers. So would he care for Christopher.

Soon enough the boy was lulled to sleep. Laying the child back into the crib the god of mischief found himself staring at the child. He would not lie and say he had been overall pleased when he had first heard of his assignment. After all, Loki the god of mischief and lies playing caretaker for a mere mortal? Yet, this child had him caring for him as he hadn't done so for anyone in a long time.

Loki gave a smile, the Norns were right; Christopher Perry Halliwell was a special child, a very special child indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who kept up with the story! Thanks to all who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Charmed or Avengers, or any of the characters within.

* * *

The trickster god smiled softly as he sat watching over his young protégé. The boy had finally taken to moving from stationary standing, to giving two or three steps as he clung to the furniture. Every time he did so the boy giggled as though it were something new.

"Look"

Loki looked over to where Chris stood on chubby little legs. The green eyed little boy babbled on some more as he pointed enthusiastically towards the corner. "Look"

Humoring him Loki stood and walked over to where Chris was pointing at. "Very well Christopher, let's see what it is that you are pointing at." Kneeling down to the young boy's level the trickster peered at the wall. "What is it?" Chris' only answer was a happy babble and another enthusiastic point of his hand. Loki gave a very serious nod of his head. "I see." But the truth was that he did not see.

"Look" Chris pointed to himself. "Me" The toddler gave a little giggle before seemingly disappearing into thin air.

"Chris! Chris! Christopher, where are you?" The god of mischief frantically looked around for the small child. "Chris!" A muffled giggle caught his attention. Spreading his magic around the room, Loki gave a sigh of relief. It seemed that the boy was still in the room. He had not teleported out of the room. Loki had been worried that Chris had developed the power of lightless teleportation. He still remembered the time he had found out that Chris could teleport.

Flashback

_Loki had taken to watching Christopher from the rocking chair in the corner of the room, as had become norm for them both for the past week. Loki would sit visibly in the child's room whenever they were alone, such as today. The boy's mother had taken her other child to the doctor and had left little Chris alone with his Aunt Phoebe. Loki could not understand how Chris' mother did not see that this Aunt Phoebe did not care much for her second nephew. _

_Thor, his mind supplied. He supposed that his not-brother was also thinking the best of Loki too. Chris' mother must not want to think that her sister would be anything but fair between the two boys. _

"_Mama" _

_Loki smiled as he saw the baby Christopher sleepily rub his eyes as he looked around the room for his mother. Sleepy green eyes zeroed in on the sitting god of mischief. A large grin broke out on the young face. "Oki, oki!"Chris' tiny arms waved around as he scooted about the crib, trying to get out. Frowning, baby Chris banged at the rails angrily. His young face scrunched up in what appeared to be frustration. _

_Loki was about to pick up his poor protégé, when Chris was suddenly enveloped by bright baby blue lights. Loki stared on in shock, as his young future student dissolved into these bright lights and disappeared. _

"_Chris!" _

_No sooner had Loki finished called Chris' name, than he found himself with an armful of giggling baby. "Oki!" Chris turned to him and gave what could only be described as a baby grin. Complete with the appearance of a few baby teeth. Chris waved his hand about and babbled happily at the dumfounded god._

_Loki stared at the child in his arms for a few minutes. Baby Chris just stared back, unaware that he had rendered his teacher speechless. To young Chris the situation was so commonplace, that he did not even give it another thought. If he wanted something he TKd it to him. Likewise if he wanted to reach someone he just orbed to them. He was too young to understand what exactly it was that he was doing, but he knew that it just happened. _

"_Oki?" Chris' questioning voice brought Loki out of his musings. He was even more perplexed as to what exactly the child was. The boy was a mage that was for certain, but as to what magics ran through his blood, well he had no clue. _

"_Oki!" Little Chris did not seem pleased at the staring. _

"_Yes Christopher?" _

"_Play!" _

Flashback

Loki felt like running a hand through his hair as he recalled that memory. It had been one of many other similar times in which the child had teleported himself with light. Loki knew that he had once read on such a form of travel before, but he could not clearly recollect it. It had just been a small passage found in one of the books in the palace library about the different cultures. It was upsetting, because he could not remember what it had said.

"Oki"

Loki gazed around the room as he let out a few tendrils of magic. As soon as they made their way to the right corner of the room, he let out a smirk. It seemed that little Chris had never moved from his spot. Out of the blue came a tiny hand, trying to grab at the magic.

"Ooh" Immediately the boy became visible again as he tried to catch the magic. The god of mischief let out a small smile as his tiny charge tried catching the swirls from where he stood. He let the magic swirls stop and land on the boy's shoulders. Chris giggled in happiness at the tickling sensation.

"Ooh!"

Loki walked over to where Chris stood and knelt down ready to pick up his protégé. Chris saw the swirls evaporate back into the god and stared. As Loki opened his arms to grab Chris, the young whitelighter set out. Little Chris gave Loki an indiscernible look, before toddling over to the stunned god. Giggling, Chris threw himself at Loki's arms and snuggled in his chest. After a few seconds of cuddling, Chris raised his head and gave the god a toothy smile.

The second prince of asgard was smiling openly at the boy. "Wonderful Christopher" Chris smiled and Loki lifted the boy into his arms. "I see that you finally learned to walk."

"Ack?" Chris looked up at the god confused.

"Walk"

"Wak?"

"Close enough" Loki bit back a laugh as baby Chris gave him an almost dismissive look or as close to one as his baby face could get to. Loki watched with fascination as Chris once again turned himself invisible. Seeing as Loki had the baby in his arms, he could now feel that Chris was still there. His young pupil turned himself visibly again before giggling. It seemed to Loki that baby Chris found everything funny.

"A sense of humor is a good thing to have Christopher." Loki informed his charge seriously, Chris seemed to agree as he nodded once before giggling again.

Loki gave a shake of his head before turning to Chris. "Shall we play some more?"

"Play!"

Four Hours later, Loki found himself skulking around the manor.

His young charge was currently with his family and the god was still not ready to let them see him. Chris' mother had come into the room about an hour after they had finished playing. Taking her son downstairs she had fed him and was currently in the process of watching him play.

"Come on honey let your brother play with the dino too." Piper gently scolded her eldest. Wyatt pouted but gave the toy back to his brother.

"Wy!" Little Chris yelled out. Standing up he tried to reach his brother, but Wyatt had sat down a few feet away. Frowning the little boy stood on shaky legs and stood up. He looked towards his mother and pointed at her. "Mama"

"Yes peanut I'm right here."

Chris shook his head in frustration. His mother didn't understand. With his arms outstretched he tried to reach his brother, but couldn't. Piper stared at him in confusion. She wasn't sure what her youngest wanted. Chris got a look of concentration on his face and gave one shaky step after another. Four steps later and he reached his brother, who immediately caught him in a hug.

"Chris! Mommy Chris came!" Wyatt stared at his little brother in shock. All this time his little brother had crawled and held on to furniture, but he had never walked like a big boy. "He's a big boy"

"Oh my little baby" Piper exclaimed. "Can you walk to mommy?" Piper opened her arms. "Come to mommy Chris. Come here peanut."

Chris stared at his mother in confusion, but toddled over to his mother anyways. He wasn't sure why it made her happy, but seeing her smile made him smile. "Mama"

"Oh my peanut walked!"

"Wak"

"Yes Chris Yes!" Piper hugged her baby in elation. Soon she would call her family and tell them all about the new development in her baby's life. Phoebe would say that it had taken him a while to walk, but Piper would argue that it didn't matter he finally did it.

"I saw him first"

Loki whispered to himself as he smiled smugly. Even though he felt slightly miffed at the fact that the woman seemed to think that she had taught the boy to walk, he knew the truth. For all things considered, Loki was the one who saw Chris' first steps. He saw his first foray into his new power of invisibility.

He saw him first.


End file.
